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Researchers discover genetic explanation for non-diabetic kidney disease in African-Americans

Kidney disease is a growing public health problem, with approximately half a million individuals in the United States requiring dialysis treatments to replace the function of their failed kidneys. The problem is particularly acute among African-Americans, whose rates of kidney disease are four times higher than those of European Americans.

20 Jul 2010

FDA joins Tox21 collaboration for improved chemical screening

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the National Institute of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) welcome the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Tox21 collaboration. The Tox21 collaboration merges federal agency resources (research, funding and testing tools) to develop ways to more effectively predict how chemicals will affect human health and the environment. The collaboration was established in 2008 to develop models that will be able to better predict how chemicals will affect humans. FDA will provide additional expertise and chemical safety information to improve current chemical testing methods.

20 Jul 2010

Kagan would consider health law recusal on a case-by-case basis

The Associated Press: "Responding to a final GOP challenge, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan said Monday that she would weigh recusing herself from matters related to the new health care law on a case-by-case basis." The issue was raised as part of questions from Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans regarding "her involvement as solicitor general in defending the health law."

20 Jul 2010

Hospital jobs hurt in some places, expand in others, as recession pinches

Although some hospitals are feeling the pinch of the recession on their budgets, 400 low-income and unemployed residents are receiving job-training and placement at local hospitals to tap into the need for workers. "The Youth Policy Institute, a local nonprofit managing the program, opened its doors to applicants in March and has already enrolled about 400 trainees.

20 Jul 2010

ACP's Medical Laboratory Evaluation program accepted by CAP's accreditation program

The American College of Physicians' Medical Laboratory Evaluation (MLE) program recently gained approval to offer certain analytes for use with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP). The CAP accreditation program is an internationally-recognized program that uses more rigorous standards than regulatory compliance to help labs achieve the highest standard of excellence. In order to qualify for accreditation, labs must perform proficiency testing on required analytes.

20 Jul 2010

PSI showcases evidence-based HIV prevention methods at International AIDS Conference

Technical staff from PSI, a leading global health organization operating in more than 60 countries around the world, are currently attending the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna to showcase PSI's innovative, evidence-based HIV prevention methods, which have helped to successfully avert more than one billion cases of HIV infection over the past 40 years.

20 Jul 2010

Researchers identify a mechanism that explains different phases of CML progression

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have identified a mechanism that could explain how patients move into the worst phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

20 Jul 2010

AU Summit focusing on maternal, child health begins in Uganda

Delegations arrived in Kampala, Uganda, for the start of the 15th African Union (AU) Summit, which begins Monday, the Daily Monitor reports (Muyita/Kasasira, 7/19).

20 Jul 2010

Benefits of drug L-methionine for neurogenic bladder disorders unclear

It is unclear whether patients with neurogenic bladder disorders benefit from the drug L-methionine. The only study currently available provides neither proof of benefit nor proof of harm. This is the result of a report published by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 12 July 2010.

20 Jul 2010

Abortion fight again heats up over high-risk pools, other health reform news

Anti-abortion activists have "scored a victory" after a decision last week by the Obama administration to not allow the new high-risk pools in America to cover most abortions, The Associated Press reports.

20 Jul 2010

Researchers monitor stress during a real-time war to refine PTSD therapy

Psychologists aren't usually called to the battlefield, but the 2008-09 Gaza War gave Tel Aviv University researchers a unique picture of how anxiety manifests during stressful situations.

20 Jul 2010

Practice nurses increase GP short consultations

The increased role of nurses in general practice is the primary driver of recent increases in short GP consultations, a general practice researcher from the School of Public Health says.

19 Jul 2010

Botched breast reduction wins Victorian woman $133,000 compensation

A Victorian woman, Bronwyn Hooper, 47 moved to court after her breasts were disfigured during reconstructive surgery. The court has awarded her $133,000 as compensation. Her legal battle lasted five years with Dr. Narine Efe of East Melbourne.

19 Jul 2010

A look into HIV related issues

According to a report from US health officials, the poorer neighborhoods of America's cities harbour at least 1 in 50 heterosexual adults infected with HIV. These figures are more than elsewhere in the country. According to the research team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being poor and getting HIV are linked and this was regardless of race or ethnicity.

19 Jul 2010

Attorney General moves towards increasing Patel sentence

Attorney General Cameron Dick has protested against the seven year sentence awarded to Dr. Jayant Patel on grounds that it is inadequate and fails to do justice to the seriousness of the crime. He said, “The grounds of this appeal are that these sentences are inadequate in all the circumstances and fail to reflect the gravity of the offences.”

19 Jul 2010

Applying a supermarket strategy to patient-specific marketing

Some hospitals are using a "customer management system" to "market to patients and physicians the same way supermarkets do -- by sending information they think a customer needs or wants based on their history," American Medical News reports. "The use of CRM software by the health industry is aided by the increasing automation of data ranging from physician referrals to electronic medical records.

19 Jul 2010

Mental health care suffers as recession hurts state's bottom lines

Mental health budgets are suffering as a lingering recession affects state bottom lines in America, Stateline reports. "States have taken the lead role in publicly funded care for the mentally ill, and paid the majority of the expenses. Even through recessions, the states have steadily increased their mental health budgets every year to meet increasing demand.

19 Jul 2010

Unidine, Xanitos enter strategic partnership

Unidine Corporation, a leading provider of food service management to healthcare and businesses, and Xanitos, Inc., an innovator in EVS management systems for hospitals, today announced a strategic partnership to offer combined food and dining service management and EVS management for hospitals that desire superior quality, personalized attention and the convenience of two industry leaders that share a common philosophy.

19 Jul 2010

Bayat Foundation commences construction on 50-bed maternity hospital in Lashkargah

The Bayat Foundation laid the cornerstone to begin construction on a 50-bed maternity hospital in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand, Afghanistan's largest province. When completed later this year, the Fatema Bayat Maternity Hospital will include an operation and recovery room, pharmacy, waiting hall, kitchen, and power system to provide vital access to quality medical care.

19 Jul 2010

DEKA Medical announces availability of new SmartXide DOT HP Fractional CO2 laser

DEKA Medical announced today the immediate availability of the High-Powered SmartXide DOT. The new SmartXide DOT HP Fractional CO2 laser, with average power of 50W, can attain irradiance of up to 250W of power with each pulse. This makes the new SmartXide DOT HP the most powerful superpulse CO2 laser available to aesthetic physicians.

19 Jul 2010